Travel 101: The Skincare Essentials You Need For Your Next Flight

Summertime has finally decided to grace us with its presence and this time of year always brings 1 thing: travel. It’s easy to make sure you have your cutest swimsuit, sun hat, and my personal fave – a good slide, but there’s one thing we often forget to prepare for and that’s in-flight skincare. Figuring out yet another routine might sound daunting, but it’s simpler than you think, while being security clearance friendly because no one has time to get their products thrown out before they board am I right?

Being on an airplane is harsh on our skin because the air is incredibly dry and you’re way closer to the sun than normal. The air inside an airplane contains around 10-12% humidity and is drier, than you will find in most deserts¹. To put this in perspective, on an average day our skin experiences humidity between 40-70%. The lack of humidity in the air is because there is less moisture at high-altitudes which leads to dry skin. In addition, your exposure to the sun increases in-flight. I’m always down to lay out and tan, but I know the sun’s effects can be detrimental from sunburn to skin cancer² (which is one of the leading forms of cancer in the US!) so it’s a no brainer that sunscreen is even more important.

Now that we understand “the why”, here’s a basic routine that you can do in your seat before take-off and landing and the products I’m currently using for each step. You can use products in your current routine or switch it up, as long as you’re using products that emphasize moisture.

Even though it’s the summer, I aim for a heavier moisturizer in-flight for more hydration. When your skin drys out, your body starts to over-compensate so you might find yourself feeling oily. In this case you could use a medium weight moisturizer or keep some blot sheets on deck.

I’m a huge fan of this sunscreen because it goes on clear and the packaging is compact. It’s recommended you re-apply sunscreen every two hours so make note at the beginning of your flight how often you’ll need to do so.

In preparation for landing, you can use the same routine but I like to squeeze in a sheet mask after wiping my face with the cleansing wipes. Airplanes are a sedentary environment which hinders circulation so you might notice some puffiness towards the end of your flight. I like to do a sheet mask to help with this but you can also massage your face or wait until landing and get your body moving again³.

Last, but arguably the most important, is to drink water. Water is essential to good, healthy skin because it helps us flush toxins from the body. I travel with a reusable water bottle and fill up before I board and after I land. Following this in-flight routine has helped me get off the plane feeling refreshed and ready for vacation! Try it out on your next flight and tag us @herstylemedia! We’d love to see what products you’re using!

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